Bypoll test for Nitish Kumar

Feb 24, 2013 - ANAND S.T. DAS |

Age Correspondent

With Bihar’s ruling NDA having pitted its claims of good governance against the Opposition parties’ sturdy rebuttals in an Assembly bypoll being held on Sunday, 2.25 lakh voters in a central Bihar constituency are set to decide which side holds promise for them.

For chief minister and JD(U) strongman Nitish Kumar, the bypoll for Kalyanpur reserved (SC) constituency in Samastipur district assumed significance after recent public meetings by both his top political opponents, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, drew massive crowds across Bihar. Both the RJD and the LJP have put up a joint candidate, Rekha Paswan of the LJP, and are trying hard to woo the dalit voters to capture this seat won in 2010 by the JD(U)’s Ramsevak Hazari. Mr Kumar has personally campaigned twice for this bypoll, indicating how important the race is for him.
A group of his trusted ministerial colleagues have been working in Kalyanpur in full swing for over two weeks. The JD(U)’s ruling ally BJP has also chipped in to energise the NDA campaign and show a united face at a time of lingering perceptions of discord. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and former BJP state president C.P. Thakur have also joined the campaign.

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